This afternoon I was sat around a miniature table on a small uncomfortable wooden block, surrounded by paints, glue, crepe paper and a multitude of little people (children not midgets) and their parents. We were all there to join our kids in making lanterns for this Wednesday's coming 'Lanternenumzug', a traditional yearly November event in which kids from schools and nursery's walk through the streets with lanterns singing a song (well some, mine doesn't) in aid of St Martin.
Last year's event was my first and it was a completely new experience to me, this year, although this is the second time I've taken part, I am still none the wiser as to what is expected of me. That's one of the issues of living in another country, especially when living in another country with a family!
There are so many traditions that the people around me have grown up with and you are simply expected to know about but I haven't a clue! It leads to embarrassing incident's and to misunderstandings and to me standing around looking frankly bewildered, which let's face it, isn't a good look!
Today I turned up to an already full table and everyone was busily painting away and making bits and pieces for their kid's lantern's and I stood there unsure as to how I actually make one of them?! I bit the bullet and asked one of the fellow parents, explaining that I've never made one before and he told me what I was expected to do. Thank God! I am happy to say that it all worked out in the end. Milo managed to hold his attention to the task at hand for a total of 10 minutes (quite an achievement for him when cars aren't involved) and we managed to end up with a small lantern covered in red paint, various crayon colours and stuck on pieces of crepe paper. I was actually quite proud of it. I haven't got any photo's of it yet (it was all too hectic in there to take photo's) but I will try and take a photo Wednesday when we do the actual walk.
If you live in Berlin or are thinking about visiting this wonderful City, head on over to my new Facebook page 'Berlin with Kids' to share & discover even more family related activities and classes going on in and around Berlin.
I love to read your comments so please feel free to let me know what you think...
Perhaps I'm a weirdo, but I like this kind of expat bewilderment...to some extent. Being an expat is a bit like being a child in that regard.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, it took me several years of living in the UK before I figured out what all those weird paper poppies were doing on television personalities' lapels.
Looking forward to the photo...
Ha ha, i forgot about poppies! God i've been away too long. A friend of mine recently likened living as an Expat as to living in a lind of ignorant bubble, not really knowing what's going on in your homeland and not really understanding what's going on where you're currently living. Very true i reckon, just some enjoy it more then others. I do certainly lile aspects of this feeling.
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